Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

It didn't take long for all the students to choose their respective weapons. Hardly anyone felt indecisive on what choice to make as they had already known their specialty, courtesy of their training class.

"Very good," Harris remarked, the moment they were all done with a weapon. He brought out a list from thin air and began to call their names one after the other, in accordance to their dorm numbers.

"Lydia Rose!"

Harris confirmed that she had chosen a weapon — a spear — before tossing exactly the same weapon to one of the combat dummies. He continued with the others until he got to the last student, taking over an hour to do so.

"Phew! That was draining," Harris said, making the hungry students who had been waiting the whole time feel more angry.

"Having paired against your combat dummies, I'll give you a minute to prepare your self before the timer begins."

Kyle nodded his head at the announcements and continued analyzing the dummy like he has been doing before. Not only had he familiarized himself with the katana in his hand, he had also come up with a plan on how to handle the test during that one hour.

'My goal remains to score the highest possible points, so I'll strike it only on the head, without getting hit, before I end it at the very last minute. I just hope it would be easy enough to accomplish.'

'Inspect!'

[Basic Combat Training Dummy]

[Durability: 1000]

[Attack Power: 20]

'I'm not entirely sure on what attack power means but it should obviously relate to the damage it can deliver.'

[Ding!]

A familiar metallic chime interrupted Kyle's thoughts.

[New Quest: Challenges are never equal. Prove yourself superior and rack up as much points as you can!]

[Reward: 1 skill point + 1 stat point per 200 points gotten]

Kyle's mind flew open the moment he read the quest notification. He already had plans on scoring the best and he'll even get rewarded while doing it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

'Perfect.'

***

Kyle's eyes were focused on the clock as the final second of preparation ticked away with his grip firmly tightened on the hilt of his katana. As soon as the timer hit zero, a single word echoed in the training hall:

"Begin!"

Kyle's body moved instantly, blurring into motion as he lunged forward. The combat dummy, programmed to react to its opponent, swung its blade in a horizontal arc aimed at his torso.

To the untrained eye, the strike was fast, precise, even, but to Kyle, it might as well have been moving in slow motion.

'Too amateurish.'

Rather than waste energy parrying against such a basic slash, Kyle used Air Steps, his body becoming weightless as he glided through the ground. With effortless precision, he twisted mid-run and brought his katana down onto the dummy's head in one fluid motion.

>CLANG!<

The sharp sound of metal meeting metal reverberated through the hall as the dummy staggered slightly and its display lit up with a glowing number:

[10]

At the same moment, Kyle's system notification chimed.

[Points: 10]

He barely spared it a glance. His focus was unshakable, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the dummy's movements. Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes. Each one landed squarely on the dummy's head, sending its display into overdrive.

The dummy retaliated, its blade slicing through the air in an attempt to counter his assault. But Kyle was untouchable. He ducked, sidestepped, and twisted, his movements so fluid they seemed choreographed. To him, the dummy's attacks were too easy and predictable.

[Points: 100]

[Points: 190]

[Points: 270]

The numbers climbed rapidly, each strike adding to his score. Kyle moved with a grace and efficiency that left no room for error. He didn't waste energy on unnecessary movements, each step and swing calculated to perfection.

Around the room, the other students struggled with their own dummies. Most were locked in tense battles, their weapons clashing with the dummies' blades as they fought to land hits without getting struck in return. Sweat dripped down their faces as they focused entirely on their tests.

At first, no one paid attention to Kyle. Everyone was too absorbed in their own fights. But as the minutes ticked by, subtle murmurs began to ripple through the hall.

"Wait… what's going on over there?"

"Is that… Kyle?"

The students closest to him were the first to notice. Their eyes widened as they caught glimpses of his movements. He was blindingly fast and impossibly precise.

"Holy crap," one student muttered, narrowly avoiding a slash from his own dummy. "He's… he's insane!"

Another stumbled back, too distracted to block a strike on his arm. (A/N: Slash on other body parts not mentioned costs 3 points).

"I can't even see him," another said with awe and fear.

All across the room, heads turned toward Kyle. Even those locked in combat couldn't help but steal glances, their curiosity outweighing their caution.

Kyle was a blur of motion, his figure barely discernible amidst the storm of slashes. To the onlookers, it seemed as though the dummy was fighting a phantom — a shadow that darted and weaved with impossible speed. The only constant was the relentless sound of his blade meeting the dummy's head.

>CLANG!<

>CLANG!<

>CLANG!<

"What… what is he?" someone whispered.

"Monster!"

The sheer intensity of Kyle's movements captivated everyone. Even those who had managed to stay focused on their own tests found their attention drifting toward him. Some received hits from their dummies as a result, and their scores suffered in the process.

At the edge of the room, Harris stood frozen, his arms crossed as he watched Kyle with a wide mouth. Of course he recognized Kyle, his favorite student! But it's been long since they both sparred and he didn't know how he had come to this.

"This… this isn't normal," Harris murmured to himself. His gaze was fixed on Kyle, his mind racing to comprehend what he was seeing.

The boy wasn't just fast — he was executing movements that Harris recognized all too well. "A martial technique," Harris muttered under his breath. The realization sent a chill down his spine.

Learning even the most basic martial technique was a monumental achievement. It had took him years of rigorous training, discipline, and dedication to learn one. Yet here was Kyle, a boy of barely sixteen years old, utilizing a movement-based martial technique with such mastery that it put seasoned fighters to shame.

'How?' Harris wondered, his thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. 'How did he improve so much in such a short time?'

He couldn't even afford that thought as he knew there was no way he could improve so much in such a short amount or time.

'He has probably been hiding this for a long time.'

Harris's head tightened with a mix of awe and frustration. It felt almost unfair for someone wielding such skills to participate in this test, but there was no rule against it. All he could do was watch in silent amazement as Kyle continued his dominant display.

Meanwhile, Kyle remained oblivious to the commotion around him. His entire being was focused on the dummy before him. His arms burned, his legs screamed for rest, but he ignored the pain. It fueled him, driving him to push even harder.

Time seemed to blur as the minutes ticked by. By the 45-minute mark, Kyle's muscles felt like lead, his body drenched in sweat. His hair clung to his damp forehead, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. But he didn't slow. If anything, he moved faster and his strikes became more precise.

'Just a little more,' Kyle told himself and continued with his onslaught.

Around him, many students still had their attention captured by Kyle.

"He's not human," one muttered, shaking their head in disbelief.

"Look at the dummy!" another exclaimed. "It's barely holding together!"

The combat dummy, once a sturdy opponent, now looked battered and worn. Its head was dented and scarred from the relentless assault, its movements slower and less coordinated.

[Durability: 387/1000]

The dummy had managed to hold for this long due to Kyle hitting it with barely any power. At 59 minutes, Kyle finally slowed, his lips curling into a determined grin. "Let's break you," he whispered.

His hair fell into his eyes, damp with sweat, but he didn't bother to brush it away. His dark eyes burned with an intensity that sent shivers down the spines of anyone watching. His shirt clung to his frame, outlining the lean, powerful muscles beneath.

Kyle shifted his grip on the katana, his knuckles white. Until now, he'd been holding back, controlling his strength to keep the dummy intact. No longer.

Activating Air Steps, he propelled himself forward, slamming his blade into the dummy's head with newfound force. The sound of the impact echoed like a cannon blast.

>BANG!<

>CLANG!<

>CRACK!<

The dummy's frame groaned under the assault, its metallic surface denting with each successive strike. Kyle poured everything he had into his attacks, his muscles screaming in protest. His vision blurred, but he didn't stop.

With five seconds left, he roared, channeling all his strength into one final strike.

>BOOOOOM!<

The dummy exploded into fragments, multiple pieces scattering across the room in a dazzling display of destruction. The sound reverberated, leaving the room in stunned silence.

Kyle stumbled back, his head heaving. His katana fell from his grasp, clattering to the floor. He dropped to his knees, sweat dripping onto the floor beneath him.

His vision was hazy, but he managed a weak, triumphant smile as the system's notification appeared before him.

[Points: 101,200]